Park City mayor marks final Sundance weekend, acknowledges cultural loss as festival departs

Festival goers walk on Main street during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Photo: TownLift//Randi Sidman-Moore

PARK CITY, Utah — As the Sundance Film Festival wrapped up its final weekend in Park City, Mayor Ryan Dickey on Sunday publicly reflected on the festival’s departure, acknowledging both its deep cultural imprint on the mountain town and the sense of loss many residents are feeling as it prepares to relocate to Boulder, Colorado.

In a written statement released during the festival’s closing days, Dickey noted that while city leaders have spent months preparing for Sundance’s exit, few public conversations have directly addressed the cultural void the festival will leave behind after more than four decades in Park City.

“For more than four decades, Sundance has been part of our winters,” Dickey wrote, describing the festival as a defining presence that transformed the town each January into a global hub for independent film, conversation and creative exchange.

Sundance began in Utah in 1978 as the Utah/US Film Festival, eventually settling in Park City and growing into one of the world’s most influential showcases for independent cinema. Over time, it became tightly woven into the city’s identity, shaping not only tourism and the local economy but also Park City’s reputation as a cultural destination.

Dickey acknowledged that much of the public discussion surrounding Sundance’s departure has focused on economic impacts — hotel occupancy, restaurant revenue and seasonal employment — but said those measures fail to capture what many residents are experiencing.

“What many people are feeling right now won’t show up on a spreadsheet,” he wrote. “It’s more internal than that — something felt in our heads and our hearts.”

The mayor said reactions among residents range from bittersweet to ready for change, and emphasized that those differing perspectives are valid. At the same time, he cautioned against assuming Park City’s success is guaranteed without careful decision-making.

“Park City is not invincible,” Dickey wrote. “Our future doesn’t run on autopilot.”

While city officials have known for months that Sundance would leave after this year’s festival, Dickey’s remarks stand out as one of the most direct acknowledgments by local leadership of the cultural gap the festival’s absence may create. He said the city does not need to “replace” Sundance, but rather remain grounded in the values that allowed it to host the festival for so long.

Looking ahead, Dickey pointed to continued support for the arts, new cultural opportunities and preparations for the 2034 Winter Olympics as part of Park City’s next chapter. He framed the moment as one of transition rather than decline, drawing parallels to earlier periods in the city’s history, including its shift from a silver mining town to a ski destination.

“This chapter in Park City’s story may be ending,” Dickey wrote, “but I’m excited for the next one.”

Sundance officials have said the festival’s move to Boulder reflects changing logistical and operational needs. Park City leaders have not announced any plans to replace the festival with a comparable event.

As the final credits rolled this weekend, Dickey offered a farewell to the institution that helped define Park City for a generation.

“To Sundance: Thank you for the years, the memories, and the mark you left on this town,” he wrote.

The festival’s departure marks the end of an era — one that reshaped Park City’s winters, its identity and its place on the global cultural map.